Day 29; Çitdibi (and beyond)
Let us start with the blood, sweat and swears that are the trademark of this walk. My small dog bite from Demre 12 days ago is still scabbed over but only slightly red and mildly sore so is healing well and unlikely to scar though the torn and worn socks are destined for the bin tomorrow night. The young Israeli woman I walked with for two days received a few scratches from a dog we passed. The dog belonged to a café owner who, when I passed the dog, intimated that her small dog was all bark and no bite, but the dog still managed to draw blood a few minutes later. Small dogs aside I loose a few drops of blood daily in the manner shown below. The sweat I have spoken about before and though the swears are mostly directed at my guidebook and the terrain I have to say that the book is what it is; it is on me to process the information.
The goal today is to find suitable camping and cover enough ground that I can tackle the final difficult stretch on day 30 with some strength and energy. I see that my day 30 from the guidebook is 15km in 6 hours but is "steep and tough" so the numbers and text don't make sense, at least not for my pace.
Last night I ate with my hosts and can conclude that in Turkey the starter and main course very often come at the same time even if that leads to a plate of cold chips. I tried to be a good guest and ventured a joke at my host's expense via Google Translate. "İngiltere'de şöyle deriz.... kocanız ketçapıyla birlikte cips seviyor". My host's wife laughed until tears streamed down her face. But seriously, her husband was using a 2:1 ratio of ketchup to chips.
I have noticed that the Turkish way of dining mirrors the French in some way. A starter of vegetables (soup or salad) then a main of carbohydrates and protein such as chicken and rice. Though a Turkish salad may typically be present throughout. Turkish tea is a must in place of the French coffee.
Leaving the pansiyon I fall into step with a dog resembling a smallish black labrador who I think is doing the rounds and proves useful in shutting up the other dogs. I stop to shop for the days ahead as I must camp and he is still waiting for me. I have added "dog" to my list of navigational tools as he knows his way and if ever I loose sight and drift off into the brush he will come back and with a flick of the head point me in the right direction. Although these dogs are harmless it can cause problems when they actually belong to someone and you can't shake them off.
It is noon and I've stopped for water and a bar of chocolate. Though I expect some begging the dog is smart enough to know that chocolate isn't good for him and takes a well earned rest.
At the very start I made a solomn pledge not to start talking to the dog; it was a five minute pledge and I very nearly stuck to it. A random scenery photo to stop this post becoming too dog focussed.
As a guide my new companion really is the dogs bollocks, at least that's what is in front of me half the time.
I stop at a camping area which boasts firepit and bench. Actually, if you have walked 4 hours a plank laid across two stones is bliss compared to the alternatives.
It's at this point that I head off on the path and the dog turns to the small village of Çitdibi. It appears we have different agendas and I leave him to his choices. After some minor wining he follows me then proceeds to lead me. I notice he is stopping in the shade more often and we both take a water break. Why I am acting as water haulier and finder of bowl shaped rocks I don't know.
Today wasn't about going big or brilliant vistas; a quiet reflective day with a cool breeze stiring the cedars. I had almost forgotten about the Lycian tombs and here are some in the mountains.
The views are good though.
It is 3.30pm and I've reached my destination, if you can call it that. There is plenty of water here and I just need to find the pitch by following the water upstream. I quite like the fact that my app shows a peice of brown earth with a marker showing a comfortable bed; if only.
It is remote here at an elevation of 900 metres but I am comforted by having a companion to keep the wolves from the flimsy flysheet.
